When you think of "straws," plastic straws usually come to mind first. But now you can find more thin and soft paper straws than hard plastic straws. Under the Act on the Promotion of Saving and Recycling of Resources, which took effect in November last year, the use of plastic straws and sticks as well as disposable cups was banned at food stores such as cafes.
Most cafes use 'green' paper straws instead of plastic straws. The use of paper straws has expanded to coffee shops nationwide, starting with Starbucks in 2018. However, the paper straws that get wet quickly in the drink are causing inconvenience here and there.
(Picture from Unsplash)
Starbucks, the origin of paper straws, says it has introduced paper straws to solve environmental pollution problems. Consumers have consistently pointed out that over time, it is wet, limp, and tastes like paper, but there is no clear improvement yet made. Cho Woo-jin (21, Geoje-si, Gyeongsangnam-do), a college student who frequently visits cafes, said, "I tend to drink for a long time, but paper straws get wet quickly and get soggy quickly, so it's uncomfortable. "When the straw is wet, it tastes like paper, so it's hard to drink," he said.
In fact, paper straws are classified as general waste and burned in incinerators because they are small in volume and cannot be recycled. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), carbon dioxide emissions may be higher than plastic straws because a large amount of coating is applied to make paper straws hard.
Plastic straw image (Picture: pixabay free image)
The carbon dioxide emission of a plastic straw is about 1.46g and a paper straw is about 1.38g, so there is no significant difference. If the paper straw becomes wet and soggy with the drink, one more will emit more carbon dioxide than the plastic straw. Kim Eun-ji (21, Nam-gu, Busan), a college student, said, "Paper straws are classified as general waste, so it seems difficult to say that they are eco-friendly," adding, "It is a matter of reconsideration to use uncomfortable paper straws."
Recently, edible straws made of rice or corn have also been released to compensate for the shortcomings of paper straws. The straw is made harder than paper, so it is somewhat convenient to use.
People working in the cafe industry said, "I often hear from customers that paper straws are uncomfortable, so I hope a solid eco-friendly straw that can be easily drunk will be developed as soon as possible."
Writer: Anne Ma
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